Safety-envelop.



e. P. BUR RIS.

SAFETY ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FlLED NOV. 22, 1915.

Patented May 15, 1917.

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GEORGE E. BURRIS, OF PUEBLQ, COLGRADO.

SAFETY-ENVELOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 191'? Application filed November 22, 1915. Serial N 0. 62,719.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, Groaen P. BURRIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of i eblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Safety-Envelops, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is an improvement in envelops and has for its principal object the provision of a simple, cheap, and eflioient self-sealing device which shall be incapable of being opened without destroying the same thus rendering tampering with the contained mail matter impossible without leaving evidence of the fact that it has been so tampered with. Further advantages of my device are that it entirely dispenses with moistening a portion of the envelop by the user, thus preventing the deposition thereon of germs and the possible infection not only of the particular envelop so used but also of all the mail matter with which it comes in contact; and that the envelop is naturally opened by the severance of a small portion thereof, during the act of cutting or tearing which the interior of the envelop is not reached and therefore danger of mutilation of the matter contained is avoided. The envelop, furthermore, employs a minimum of paper in its manufacture and is capable of use without change for either first class or for unsealed matter in the latter instance the tongue being merely folded in and not inserted in its slots. Further objects and advantages of my invention will later appear from this specification.

In the single sheet of drawings accompanying this application and forming a part hereo Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of blank from which my envelop may be made;

Fig. 2 is a rear plan view of an envelop made according to my invention; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one endof an envelop made according to my invention, the view being taken from the front side and a portion of the device being torn away to disclose the interior.

Referring to Fig. 1, the blank from which I prefer to make my device is out substantially as shown and, when creased along the dotted lines shown, may be considered as divided into a front section 5, two similar end sections 6 projecting from the ends of the front section, and two similar back sections "a" extending from the sides of the front section, each of the back sections being, as shown, a little more than half as wide as the front section.

llach back section 7 is provided with a pair of slots 8, 9, the slots being so located that when the back sections are folded down over the front section one each of the slots 8 and 9 will be directly over the other of the same number.'

Each end section 6 is provided with an extension or tongue 10 on which wings 11 are formed by creasing the paper along the dotted lines 12. Back of the base of the wings 11 and between the wings and the body portion of the end section there is a neck 13 which is of such width as to just pass through the slots 8, 9 and which in the ordinary sizes of envelops is about one sixteenth of an inch in length. The tongue 10 may be given the form shown or anv other desired shape but it should preferably be so proportioned that the lines 12 shall be as long as may be (to get as much strength as possible) and that when folded along the lines 12 the points of the wings 11 shall fall nearer the body portion of the end section than the imaginary line connecting the bases of the wings but not beyond the neck, so that when the tongue is forced as far as may be through the slots the points of the wings 11 will clear the edges of the slots and tend to spring up as shown in Fig. 3.

In forming the envelop the two back sections are folded in, the slots 8, 9, in that back section which happens to be the outer one falling directly over the like numbered slots in the other section. Then one of the end sections is folded in, the wings 11 being on the lower side of the end section as it is so folded down. The tongue 10 is then passed through the slots and after it is entirely through said slots the wings 11 will.

spring out and engage the edges of the slots making retraction impossible. The envelop thus closed at one end is complete as a manufactured product and is ready for the user who will similarly close the other end after inserting the mail matter.

The wings on the tongues being below the tongues as they enter the slots can not be reached to depress them through the slots; neither can they be reached from the sides since they pass through both of the back sections. It is therefore impossible to open the envelop without tearing off one of the tongues and consequently leaving evidence of its having been opened.

While the device may well be made entirely without paste, I prefer to seal the overlapping edges of'the sections 7 with paste in the process of manufacture to prevent their catching on other mail matter; and when so made it will be found simpler to delay cutting the slots 8 and 9 until after pasting, but before sealing either end, thus insuring that the siots are accurately superimposed.

I also prefer to apply a small amount of paste to that tongue 10 which is to be sealed in the formation of the envelop; this paste is placed on the side which will contact with the rear section, thus causing it to lie close to said section and prevent its interfering with the insertion of the letter or other matter which the envelop is to carry.

While I have described the envelop as closed at one end in the process of manufacture, and prefer to so make it for the convenience of the user, I do not wish to limit myself to so making it as it will be evident that my invention will not be departed from by merely supplying the cut blanksleaving it for the user to close both ends of the device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An envelop blank adapted to be so folded as to constitute a front section, two rear sections on the sides of the front section, and two end sections on the ends of said front section, said end sections each having a neck projecting therefrom and a tongue connected to said neck, said tongue being wider than said neck and being adapted to be so folded as to form Wings extending out of the plane thereof, the

parts being so proportioned and the line of fold being so taken that the wings extend inwardly beyond the imaginary line connecting their bases but not so far to extend beyond said neck.

2. Au envelop comprising a front section, a pair of doubly slotted overlapping rear sections, and a pair of end sections, each end section having a neck projecting therefrom and a ton ue connected to said neck adapted to be passed through the adjacent pair of slots, said tongue being Wider than said neck and being so folded as to form wings extending out of the plane thereof, the parts beingso proportioned and the line of fold being so taken that the wings extend inwardly beyond the imaginary line connecting their bases but not so far as to extend beyond said neck, said rear sections being secured together by paste through a portion of their overlapping surfaces.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

GEORGE P. BURRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D, C. 

